As Isaac McNutt graduates Antlers High School, the crazy spring of 2022 will be something he will always remember. But more on that later.
Isaac played golf and baseball for the Bearcats which is a neat trick since both are spring sports.
“It was kind of crazy trying to balance the two sports, but my parents and coaches worked hard to get me from one place to another on time,” said McNutt who was also involved in National Honor Society and FCA.
Terry Beasley who just completed his first year as the Antlers golf coach, talked about McNutt.
“I had heard before I came here that he was a really solid player and a good kid. He was the class Valedictorian and a hard worker and I really just kind of stepped back and didn’t coach him much because he was able to do a lot of things that you just can’t teach.”
Character also played a big role for Isaac.
“I think character is having respect for the game and the coaches and good sportsmanship. My coaches always told me if you have respect for the game, it will respect you back.”
An unfortunate circumstance last year at the golf regionals served as a motivator for Isaac this year.
“My junior year at regionals it was announced that I’d be going to state. But a late scorecard came in and after re-tabulations, it bumped me out. It was gut wrenching for me to have that opportunity for a minute and then have it taken away, but I used that as a motivator this year.”
And that brings us to the crazy spring and all of the weather problems. First off, golf regionals had to be moved because of wet course conditions but Isaac still managed to qualify for the state tournament (a first for Antlers) in Cushing the following Monday. Meanwhile, the baseball regionals, which were to have been Thursday/Friday, got pushed to the weekend because of weather where coach Beasley takes up the story.
“So we got up Sunday morning and drove to Cushing to play a practice round of golf, then drove to Salina for the baseball regional Sunday afternoon. That was a long game which ended in a disappointing loss and then we drove back to Cushing to get ready for golf the next day. When we got there late that night, I could tell he was beat, but he still shot in the mid-80’s in real windy conditions and I was real proud of him.”
And, as mentioned at the start, it’s a couple of weeks that Isaac won’t soon forget.
“There were about two weeks there when I don’t think I was home more than a day or two, but it was an awesome experience to go to state and do something that no one from your school had done before.”
Isaac will attend Rogers State University this fall in the honors program. As for golf?
“No, I don’t plan to play except maybe in a local scramble where I can take some old man’s money,” Isaac laughed.
